Everyone’s favorite banana-stuffed sourdough bread, battered, deep-fried, and dusted with cinnamon-sugar is coming to a kitchen near you. That’s right, Disney has released the official Disney Parks recipe for Tonga Toast. Currently served at Kona Cafe and Capt. Cook’s, this decadent breakfast classic has been on the menu at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort since 1971.
This blissfully rich breakfast recipe is the perfect Mother’s Day treat and a great way for the family to enjoy a taste of Disney magic. While we’ve published our own take on Tonga Toast, here’s a fun video tutorial to follow along:
Tonga Toast from Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Sugar-Cinnamon
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Batter
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Tonga Toast
- 1 quart canola oil, for frying
- 1 loaf sourdough bread (uncut, 12 inches long)
- 2 large bananas, peeled
Directions:
For Sugar-Cinnamon:
Mix sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl (large enough to roll toast) with a fork until thoroughly blended. Set aside.
For Batter:
Whip eggs in medium bowl (large enough to dip toast) until well beaten. Add milk, cinnamon, and sugar. Mix well and set aside.
For Tonga Toast:
- Using caution, preheat oil to 350°F in a large pot or a deep fryer. (If using a large pot, use a candy thermometer to make certain the oil does not get any hotter or it will burn.)
- Slice the bread into four three-inch-thick slices.
- Cut each banana in half crosswise, then each piece lengthwise.
- Place a bread slice flat on the counter and tear out just enough from the middle (do not tear all the way through) to stuff half a banana into; repeat with each bread slice.
- Dip stuffed bread into batter, covering both sides, allowing excess batter to drip off bread and place carefully into hot oil.
- Cook 4-5 minutes until golden brown. If needed, turn toast over after 2 minutes and cook for another 2 minutes on other side. Remove and drain excess oil.
- Roll toast in cinnamon-sugar. Repeat for each piece of toast.
Note: This recipe has been converted from a larger quantity in the restaurant kitchens. The flavor profile may vary from the restaurant’s version. As a reminder, while preparing this recipe, please supervise children who are helping or nearby.
Having made these a number of times, you can simply slice a slit into the bread and slip the slivers of banana into those pockets. Plucking out part of the bread makes the bread thin and more likely to break through when you cook them. Just go slowly and carefully. The bananas melt and slightly caramelize as you cook the Tonga toast, really bringing out a terrific, distinctive flavor.
Haven’t tried making this yet but I wanted to offer an alternative: I bet it could also be made just sandwich style with thinner bread (if that’s what you have), not fried in oil but cooked in melted butter or coconut oil in a pan, turned over on both sides like we do when we make grilled cheese sandwiches. It won’t be a stuffed bread effect like at the Poly, but it’ll taste similar and have the same ingredients except for the oil. Basically a fried banana sandwich, and the edges of the bread could be pressed together while cooking (with all the banana pushed more to the center of both pieces of bread).
Now if they would only release the recipe for the vegan version they used to offer.
We caramelize the bananas before stuffing them into the toast (& it’s better to cut a slit vs. tearing). This recipe also works well with challah and butter brioche bread. Finally, add a splash of balsamic to the strawberry compote as it brightens the flavor & keeps it from being overly sweet.
Only ever tried the Tonga Toast once, and thought it was one of the worst things I ate at the parks. Willing to give the homemade version a try, though.